Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), defined as the impaired growth and development of a mammalian embryo/fetus or fetal organs during pregnancy, is a major concern in pig farming. IUGR animals exhibit impaired growth and development, lower meat quality, and higher morbidity and mortality after birth. Therefore, IUGR is a major problem for the pig industry due to the lack of comprehensive understanding of the growth regulation mechanism of IUGR piglets.
KONG Xiangfeng's research team from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has systematically investigated the growth and development, body metabolism, and intestinal microecological profiles of normal birth weight pigs and IUGR pigs at different growth stages.
Combining with Fecal Microbial Transplantation and germ-free mice, the researchers verified that IUGR alters the diversity and metabolic pathways of the intestinal microbiota, resulting in abnormal intestinal energy, amino acids, and bile acid metabolism, which hinders the later growth and development of IUGR pigs.
The application of dietary bile acid showed that bile acid supplementation can improve liver function, enhance the relative abundances of potentially beneficial bacteria in the intestine, and alleviate intestinal mucosal oxidative damage of IUGR piglets.
In addition, dietary bile acid supplementation can also improve the colonic barrier function and redox status of IUGR piglets, which is beneficial to intestinal health.
These findings suggest that the intestinal microbiota can be used as targets for regulating IUGR, and bile acids play an important role in improving IUGR metabolism and maintaining intestinal health in piglets.
This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Key Research and Development Project, and the Special Funds for Construction of Innovative Provinces in Hunan Province.
Schematic diagram of bile acid metabolism in normal birth weight piglets and IUGR piglets. (Image by LIU Yang)
